A/N – I'm sorry I forgot to mention this in Part 1, but this story will be slightly AU. I started writing this before DH came out, and finished it afterwards. I think the biggest thing that comes up, aside from ignoring the epilogue, is that a particular character is still alive. The rest is minor little details that crop up here and there.
Part 2 – The Media
Prompt # 2 – newspapers
It was the end of a rather long practice and Harry was dog tired. Sinking into the chair in front of his locker, he removed his goggles and gently flipped them into his locker. Taking the end of the towel hanging over his shoulder, he wiped the sweat from his face. Holding the towel against his face for a moment, he could hear them approach even before one of them asked a question. Heaving a sigh, he slouched in his chair and looked up. He was right, even without his glasses, he could see he was surrounded by a small army of reporters. He lost some of the finer details without the aide of his glasses or Quidditch goggles, but he felt he wasn't missing much. There just going to ask me the same stupid questions as they always do.
"Harry!" about ten of them shouted at the same time, then quickly the rest followed suit.
Finally, one got across an audible question to him. "What went wrong against the Harpies?"
"They played better," he said slowly, trying to put the best spin he could on the fact they kicked their asses. "Their Chasers are the top trio in the League, and their Beaters showed why they belong on the National team."
"After all of your success on the Hogwarts pitch, is it frustrating to play with a team like the Cannons?"
Biting his lip before he could snap at the reporter, Harry took a moment before answering. "Change doesn't come quickly, or by adding one player. We are playing better and we'll continue to improve."
The reporter continued to press, "As a franchise Seeker-"
"Your term, not mine," Harry interrupted.
"As one of the best Seekers in the game," he reworded, "don't you feel frustrated or held back by the play?"
"No," he answered simply. Unfortunately, he learned simple, one word answers didn't please these sharks and they would just press harder. "I'm still learning myself. It's a hard jump going from school to professional, and I didn't even play my last year at Hogwarts. This is only my second year, we're growing together as a team.
Another reporter fired off another question before the original could ask another follow up. "But it must be a humbling experience to lose to an all female team."
Harry glared at the reporter, "How so?" He noticed the reporter shrink away, trying to hide in the crowd. "It doesn't matter if they were women or trolls, they were the better team. Have you ever tried to stop Johnson's curve? Go ask Oliver how much that Quaffle moves around."
Seeing an opening, another reporter started shooting off questions. "You mentioned the National team. Are you going to play in the World Cup?"
"If called," Harry answered, and chose to ignore the laughing of the reporters who thought it a sure thing. "I'd be very tempted and would have to give it some thought."
"The Euro Cup is coming up, Bulgaria is a heavy favorite going in. What do you think England's chances are?"
"As good as any."
"What about possibly facing Krum in a Bulgaria-England final?"
A small smile slowly drew on his lips and he let his eyes slowly looked about the crowd. "Should be fun."
"Harry," a female voice cried out from the back and Harry tried his best to see who it was. "Alicia Spinnet, The Quidditch Report. A personal question, if I may?"
Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, he wearily nodded his head. What is Spinnet going on about?
"Recently, you've been spotted with a rather attractive blonde, any comment on who she is?" The look on his face made Alicia want to start laughing. She watched as he worked out what she just said in his head while the other reporters clamored for more information. When the green eyes laser-locked on hers, she knew he understood. She snickered softly under her breath.
"There's nothing to comment on," Harry said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. "Simply an old school mate."
After another few minutes of questions, Harry excused himself from the crowd to go shower. Afterwards, clean and dressed, he left the locker room and headed towards one of the Pitch's Apparition points.
Hearing jogging footsteps behind him, Harry glanced over his shoulder. Seeing Alicia jog up to him, he slowed down and turned around. "What the hell was that?"
Unfazed, Alicia just grinned as she stopped in front of him. "Oh, come on, Harry. There's stories every day about you with someone witch… or wizard," she teased, ignoring Harry's death glare.
"Does Katie know?"
"Know what?"
Harry watched Katie walking up from behind Alicia. "That your friend here, basically made it seem like we were a couple."
"Why?" Katie asked, staring at the back of the Alicia's head.
"Because it's my job," Alicia explained. "Plus, it's fun rattling Harry's cage a little. As for you, maybe next time you won't wake me up before dawn." While best friends, the temporary living arrangements of the two women weren't working out as well as they hoped.
"Now," Alicia said, turning towards Harry, "My editor is letting me try a new column, Outside The Pitch, and I can't think of anyone better then the great, generous, and handsome, I may add, Harry Potter."
"Oh, now she wants an interview," Harry muttered, throwing his hands into the air.
"Please," Alicia pretended to beg, looking at him with a pair of big doe eyes.
Swearing under his breath, "Fine."
"Perfect," she said with a smug smile. "Three Broomsticks, five minutes. I'll go get us a table," she said rapidly, just before Apparating away with a soft pop.
Looking at Katie, "Why?"
Grinning, Katie patted his arm. "Cause you're a nice guy and would bend over backwards for your friends… no matter how mad they make you."
After Harry arrived, found the table, and ordered a few drinks, Alicia started going through a whole checklist of random questions. Things like favorite color, hobbies, favorite place to go on vacation were all covered by the time their table received some visitors. Katie simply sat there listening with a grin as she nursed a butterbeer.
"My dear brother, what do we have here," a voice spoke up.
"Why it's our dear benefactor and partner," an identical voice said, not missing a beat from the first.
"Gred, Forge," Harry greeted, taking a sip of his butterbeer.
"And quite the company he keeps," Fred said. "Too bad I am a married man."
"But I am not," George said, taking a seat next to Alicia.
"And don't you forget it," a third voice said. As George sat down, Angelina came into view. "Leesh. How's the arm Katie?" For a moment, Harry and Angelina stared at each other. "Harry."
"Angelina."
As everyone sat around the table, even the jovial twins were quiet as they could feel the tension between the two former Gryffindor Quidditch Captains. When Angelina was captain, Harry seemed to be constantly running a foul of then Hogwarts High Inquisitor Umbridge. Angelina was under intense pressure to continue the Gryffindor dynasty, and the trouble Harry was getting into, even if not caused by himself, was frustrating. Then after he was hit with the lifetime ban, they had had it out in the locker room. If it hadn't been for Katie and Alicia, she probably wouldn't have gone to the D.A. meetings. The two haven't spoken more than a few words to each other since Alicia and Angelina's graduation a few years ago.
As Alicia's interview went on, Katie watched as Harry and Angelina continued to eye each other from across the table. As if one was waiting for the other to say something so they could go off in retaliation. This is so stupid. They're acting like five year olds.
As Alicia wrapped up, Harry excused himself and went to the bar for another drink. "Hasn't this gone far enough?" Katie asked as she sat back down.
"Uh?" Angelina answered, surprised by Katie.
"This stupid, petty grudge you two have had for almost five years," Katie said, her voice going up an octave or two. "I'm sick of listening to you two constantly bad mouth each other, and then act like five year prats when you're in the same room."
"Watch it," Angelina snapped back.
Narrowing her eyes, Katie quickly retorted. "No, you watch it." Standing up quickly, Katie quickly headed towards Harry and the bar.
Fred let out a soft whistle. "That's the first time I've ever seen my Angel loose a fight." Angelina quickly turned to her husband and gave him a death glare, which he wilted under.
"Angie," Alicia said.
Folding her arms across her chest, she rested her chin against her chest. "Not now."
As Katie approached, she watched Harry quickly down a shot of Firewhisky. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a couple Sickles onto the counter before motioning the barkeep to refill Harry's glass and one for herself.
Harry watched in amazement and amusement as Katie effortlessly downed the drink. Following suit, and ignoring the burning sensation in his throat, he gasped out, "What?"
"I've finished watching you two butt heads," she said, motioning for another shot.
Watching her down it, "How…," Harry started to ask, but decided to go back to the topic at hand. "Who butt what?"
"You and Angie," she explained. "You two want to snipe at each other? Fine, but I'm not going to deal with it. You're both my friends, but I'm not going to put up with either of you if continue this over something so stupid."
"Quidditch isn't stupid," came Angelina's voice, "it's just the players get a little too obsessive." Then looking at Harry, "Wouldn't you agree?"
Regarding her for a moment, he replied, "I'd have to say so."
"Gits," Katie muttered under her breath.
Harry and Angelina snickered as Katie walked back to the table while shaking her head. "She's right, you know?" Angelina said.
"Speak for yourself," Harry told her sarcastically.
"I suppose it wasn't your fault that the Fat Toad was an incompetent, bureaucratic drone."
Harry smirked, "And I suppose you were under enough pressure trying to keep the team together without my… help."
"Alicia told me what you said about my toss," she said. Harry shrugged it off, and Angelina rolled her eyes. "If I didn't have my head up my arse, I'd realize you were probably one of the best teammates I've ever had. And if I had been thinking proper, I'd have decked the Ferret first."
Harry laughed out loud at that image, knowing Angelina had a mean right hook.
"I also heard you're helping Katie," she said. "What do you think?"
"It's too early, she's healed but we really haven't done much flying yet, less so against opposition." After ordering a round of butterbeers, "But if anyone can bounce back from an injury, it's Bell."
Before they left the bar, and back to the table, Angelina had the shot glass refilled. Holding her glass towards Harry, "To what? Us making the National Squad? Teammates again?"
Harry gave her a wicked grin as he raised his own glass. "To belting the Ferret!" Both laughed as they clinked glasses and downed the shot.